This invention relates to washing machines wherein a motor is mounted on the outer bottom of a water-receiving tub, and more particularly to a motor mounting structure for such washing machines wherein the motor is mounted on the outer bottom of the water-receiving tub with non-metallic elastic bodies interposed therebetween.
In washing machines and more particularly, full automatic washing machines, the rotation of a motor is transmitted through a belt to a transmission mechanism provided on the outer bottom of a water-receiving tub for driving an agitator mounted within the water-receiving tub. Conventionally, a plurality of motor mounting bosses are provided on the outer bottom of the water-receiving tub so as to be downwardly projected. A bracket of the motor is secured to the bosses by bolts.
Recently, reduction of noise produced by the motor has been one of important technical concerns in the field of washing machines. However, since the motor bracket is directly coupled to the bosses formed on the outer bottom of the water-receiving tub in the above-described conventional construction, mechanical and electromagnetic vibrations produced by the motor are transmitted to the water-receiving tub through the bracket and bosses. Consequently, the water-receiving tub is may be vibrated, resulting in increased of noise. Furthermore, should the bolts fixing the motor be loosened for some reason and fall off, there is a possibility that the motor may fall off, which could be dangerous.
In order to prevent the motor vibration from being transmitted to the water-receiving tub and causing noise, the motor has been mounted on the outer bottom of the water-receiving tub with buffer members interposed therebetween. In this respect, when the buffer members are coil springs, it is difficult to cut off slight vibration causing noise since the coil springs are formed from a metallic material. On the other hand, a non-metallic elastic body such as a lump of rubber is effective for the reduction of noise. However, such a non-metallic elastic body is low in tensile strength and has a problem of reduction of its strength with deterioration due to age.